A location of a wireless device can be tracked by a communication system on the basis of a tracking area. A tracking area is a group of access nodes, and is typically identified by a tracking area code or similar identifier. A communication system can store a tracking area code of a wireless device. Further, when a wireless device enters a low power mode or idle mode, the communication system can maintain the last known tracking area code of the wireless device. When data arrives for a wireless device which is in a low power mode or idle mode, a data notification can be sent to the access nodes in the last known tracking area of the wireless device.
Overview
In operation, a number of tracking area update messages received by a plurality of access nodes using a first tracking area configuration are monitored, and it is determined that a number of tracking area update messages received by one of the plurality of access nodes meets an update message criteria. It is also determined that a number of connected wireless devices at the one of the plurality of access nodes meets a connection criteria. When the number of tracking area update messages meets the update message criteria and when the number of connected wireless devices meets the connection criteria, the second tracking area configuration is used at the one access node.